Machinery for steering ships



(N o Model.)

W. C. WILLIAMSON.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

IVIAGIIIIIERYIIOR STEERING SHIPS.

' Patented Ieb. 22,1887.

'WIT/VESSES;

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y /NVENTOR ATTORNEY N. PETERS, Photo-Lmognphsr, Waddington. D. C.

(N Iliou'ldlelf)l Y v 2 ShetS-Sheet 2j W. C. WILLIAMSON.-

MACHINERY "EUR STEERING SHIPS.v

N0.`s58,419. PatenfedPeb;22,1887.-

IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM C. VILLIAMSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINERY FOR STEERING SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,419, dated February 22, 1887.

Application filed October 516, 1886. Serial No. 217,291A (No moJel.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM C. WILLIAM- SON, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania-have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machinery for Steering Ships by Hand and Steam Power Combined, which invention or imprvement is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a certain connecting and disconnecting mechanism between the steam and hand power mechanism to be operated from the deck or pilothouse when desired to change from one method of steering to the other.

The invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows in sectional side elevation parts of a steering apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows in plan the parts shown in Fig.

, 1. Fig. 3 is a front or end view, partly in outline, of the machine illustrated-in the two preceding figures.

In said drawings the several parts are designated by letters as referred to in the following description of their construction and mode of operation;

The machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings belongs to that class of steering machinery in which the engine shuts off the steam automatically whenever the helmsman brings to rest thesteering-wheel, stopping and starting almost synchronously with said wheel. It is obvious that in such an arrangement, if it be desired to steer by hand-power alone, the steam-power mechanism must be detached from its rudder-connections before the handpower can be brought into useful operation. This said detachment is effected in the machine herewith illustrated by first operating a hand-wheel or other suitable device (not shown) placed conveniently near the helms man,which wheel by its conneotionsuncouples the Wire-rope drum or chain-drum fromV its driving-engines, and also simultaneously so far uncouples said drumfrom the mechanism for automatically shutting off steam as to -leave the hand steering-power (not shown) entirely free to actuate the rudder at will. All this is accomplished by simply turning said specially-v provided wheel or other device, located conveniently near the helmsman in the pilothouse or elsewhere. The counterpart or mate to said wheel is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the letter H, which latter wheel can be conveniently connected to the former or hand wheel by an endless rope or chain in a wellknown manner. Said wheel H when rotated in one direction rotates its screw-shaft h,which, advancing through the threaded bearing M, bolted to the framing of the machine by bolts b b, pushes forward the bolt c within the bore of the main shaft S. The opposite end of the bolt c is thus forced against the cross-key d,

which,l being secured in the hub of the spurwheel I, passes through a slot in the shaft S, and is thus always within reach of the bolt c inthe bore of shaft S, said slot and bore communicating with each other.

The spur-wheel I is secured fast to the ropedrum or chain-drum N, and said drum at its opposite end terminates in a cone friction wheel or disk, O, which, with its opposite internal cone-disk, P, forms afriction-clutch between the chain-drum N and the power-wheel R. Said power-wheel is shown as a wormwheel driven directly by the engine-shaft through the interposed worm T. It is evident now that the revolution of the wheel H will force the cone friction-clutch O P into gear and connect the worm-wheel R and the drum N together. Said drum is loose on its shaft S, and is permitted to slide on such shaft horizontally, a suitable sleeve or lining of bearing metal being provided.

The worm-wheel It is secured fast to revolve with the shaft S, as shown in the drawings, being fast on the hub of the internal cone friction-disk P, which is keyed fast directly to said shaft. Said worm-wheel can therefore only transmit power to the drum N when the part O of the friction-clutch is in gear with the part P. This, however, would also be the case were the drum N made to slide on feathers on its shaft S, and the worm-wheelRloose on said shaft. When the wheel H is revolved in the opposite direction, the pressure of the bolt c being removed from the cross-key d, the spring F will react and force Vthe cone-friction ont of gear, sliding back the drum N on the shaft S. As soon as the action last-mentioned takes place, the side of the spur-wheel I is ICO Vforced against the lever D at the point G, and

forces said lever back, the effect of which is to throw the clutch B out of gear or couple with the spur-wheel A, theleverD being fulcrumcd atf and pivoted to clutch B at C. As the spurwheel A is loosely mount-ed on a sleeve, g, on the shaft E, it is evident that so long as the clutch B is thrown out from the wheel A said wheel may revolve, although in gear with the spur-wheel I, without imparting any motion to any other mechanism, or in anywise hindering the operation of any other mechanism.

.It will be observed that thewide face of the spur-wheel I permits of its sliding motion without at any time moving out of gear with the spur-whcel A. The latter wheel may, however, have the wider face, ifpreferred, instead ofthe wheel I. Vhen the spur-wheel I is thrust away from the lever D by the bolt c, (orotherwise,) thespring S, pressingagainst the shorter arm of the lever D, throws the clutch B again into gear with the spur-wheel A. The sleeve g, upon which the spunwheel A is mounted, is secured to the shaft E by a feather, and the clutch B is secured to said sleeve by a feather, (well-known provisions,) so that when the loose spur-wheel A and clutch B revolve together the shaft E must be revolved by them. Said shaft is threaded at t through the bevel-gear V, which, by a strap, r, suitably scoured to the framing, permits said gear to rotate, and at the same time to act as a xed rotating nut for the shaft E. Hence, when said bevel-gear is rotated by its fellow gear u on the foot of the stopping, starting, and reversing shaft XV, the shaft E is caused to advance or retreat through the sleeve g without rotating; but when said shaft is rol tated by the spur-wheel A, it not only rotates, but travels through the bevel-wheel V without rotating it, by sliding through the sleeve g.

It can now be readily seen Without further explanation that by simply turning the wheel H by suitable connection from the pilot-house or elsewhere, the complete severance of the hand-power and steam-power mechanism can be effected. It is also quite obvious that by operating the shaft W from the pilot-house or elsewhere the bevel-gearing a V moves forward the shaft E, which, through its connec tion at e with the double-ended lever or beam L, fulcrumed at Z, operates the reversingvalves, to which the lower end of said leveris connected, as shown in Fig. l. Such Valves being of common and well-known construction need not be described. rIhe motion of the shaft E in the opposite direction by the rotation of the spur-gear I, as already described, will-of course throw the lever L in the opposite direction, and thus stop the machine by shutting off the steam turned on by the former movement of the lever L.

Having thus fully described my said ilnprovement as of my invention, I claim- In a steam and hand power steering mechanism, the combination of a spur-wheel, as I, a spur-wheel, as A, a clutch-coupling, as B, and an automatically-actuated lever, as D, arranged and operating to connect and disconnect the steam opening and closing mechanisms, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

XVILLIAM C. VILLIAMSON.

Vitnesses:

HARRY E. DoRN, MATHIAs SEDDINGER. 

